Donald Trump’s Campaign Manager Has a Strange Former Relationship With Solar

Stephen Lacey is the Editor-in-Chief of Greentech Media. He manages a team of writers focused on solar, storage, efficiency, mobility, and grid modernization. He is producer/host of The Energy Gang and Interchange podcasts, two leading interview and analysis shows on the business of energy and cleantech.

Mother Jones: Donald Trump's Campaign Manager Led a Double Life as a Solar Power Lobbyist

Before becoming the controversial campaign manager of Donald Trump's presidential bid, Corey Lewandowski oversaw the New Hampshire chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers.

The conservative activist, who was charged with battery on Tuesday, led an aggressive operation dedicated to slashing government spending -- including earmarks and subsidies -- and eviscerating government regulations, particularly the green-energy agenda of the Obama administration. Yet Lewandowski led something of a double life, because while he was battling the government for AFP, he was also working as a lobbyist and seeking federal funds for clients that included a solar power company.

Leading European batterystoragedeveloper Sonnen has announced it will soon launch its Sonnenbatterie product in Australia, joining a host of international and local brand names, including Tesla, LG, Enphase, Panasonic, Samsung, Redflow and Ecoult in tapping into the first big domestic battery storage market in the world.

The German-based Sonnen, which makes lithium-ion battery storage systems, says it will partner with True Value Solar -- the biggest installer in Australia -- to offer an all-in-one system of rooftop solar panels and the SonnenBatterie.

It also expects to introduce peer-to-peer trading, meaning that households with battery storage will be able to trade energy with neighbors. It has already introduced such a product into Europe.

Bloomberg: China Said to Consider Cutting Subsidies for Electric Buses

China is proposing to cut the amount of subsidies for electric buses because the policy was considered overly generous, while imposing a price ceiling on passenger vehicles that qualify for incentives, according to people familiar with the matter.

Incentives for electric buses will be cut by an average of 32 percent, with funding for the largest models reduced by as much as 49.5 percent, according to the people, who asked not to be identified as the deliberations are private. Electric passenger vehicles costing more than 350,000 yuan ($53,800) won’t be eligible for government subsidies under the proposal. The plan is still being reviewed by various ministries and has to be approved by the State Council, or cabinet, the people said.

When Tesla Motors introduces the Model 3 Thursday night, it should mark a turning point for the company, vaulting the young automotive brand into a new market: middle-income buyers who have largely had their noses pressed up against the glass gazing at the higher-priced luxury cars Tesla has made to date.

The $35,000 Model 3, an all-electric sedan to join the all-electric Model S and Model X, is not just a car, but a platform that should underpin a crossover, sports car and potentially a small to mid-sized pickup.

Energy storage development in Ireland remains purposely technology-agnostic, and this, together with the strong drivers behind storage in the country, is transforming the country into Europe’s energy storage lab, as highlighted at a recent workshop.

The event held in London was the ninth of a series of regional grid and storage workshops that took place in various locations throughout the European Union aimed at fostering the storage discourse and defining the EU’s Research and Innovation roadmap, integrating energy storage into grid activities.